Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Dear Heloise: I have moths all over my pantry and utility room! I have no idea where they’re coming from, but as soon as I swat them, more seem to appear. I also have noticed tiny worms crawling on the ceiling and walls, which I assume later become the moths. Do you have any solutions that might get rid of these annoying creatures? Becky, via e-mail
It sounds like you may have an infestation of weevils. Weevil eggs are in grain items that you buy at the grocery store. So, check all opened cereal packets, bags of flour and even dog food for signs of larvae or pupae.
Throw away all infested foods, and store the remainder in glass jars with tight-fitting lids.
Kill any adult moths you can with insecticide spray (must be food-safe, and don’t spray food). Carefully spray cracks, crevices and the undersides of pantry shelves before putting food back. You might have to use a professional exterminator, who will fumigate with gases that won’t harm food or leave residue.
To keep the eggs from hatching, whenever bringing grain products home, put them in the freezer for four days to kill the eggs. Heloise
Dear Heloise: Hard-cooked eggs are nice if you can tell them from the raw ones. Use red food coloring in the water when cooking, and then put them back in the carton. It saves refrigerator space, too. Wilson Harris, Laredo, Texas
Dear Readers: If you are out of brown sugar in the middle of cooking, do you run to the store? No! You can substitute 1 cup of granulated sugar with 4 tablespoons of dark molasses for dark-brown sugar. Stir with a fork to mix. This can be used in most recipes, but won’t have the same texture as regular brown sugar. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I had trouble carrying pies and cakes to potluck suppers. They would shift in the carriers, and frosting would hit the sides of the carrier or the pie crust would break. I cut a round of rubber shelf lining and placed it under the pie or cake. No more shifting, and they arrive perfect. Evelyn, Paso Robles, Calif.
Dear Heloise: Here is a trick I use when making jalapenos with cheese filling. Line a cookie sheet with foil, spray a cooling rack with canola spray and place the rack on the cookie sheet. Line the peppers up on the rack and bake. Try turkey bacon to wrap them. DeDe, Childress, Texas
Dear Heloise: Since I live alone, a jar of spaghetti sauce is too much for me to use at one time. I put the extra into ice-cube trays and freeze. When needed, I pop the cubes out, and it’s easily thawed in a bowl in the microwave. Christine Martin, Staten Island, N.Y.
SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate